


Buffy and the Search for Sliding Doors

by faith_girl222 (faithgirl)



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-11-11
Updated: 2004-11-11
Packaged: 2018-04-05 17:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4188405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithgirl/pseuds/faith_girl222
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy's adventures on December 1st, 1998.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Buffy and the Search for Sliding Doors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [helbel85](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=helbel85).



Usually, Joyce had to yell at Buffy to get up. Her alarm would barely make a dent in her unconsciousness, and Joyce would have to do most of the work. Before, Joyce had chalked it up Buffy being a lazy teenager. Now she knew it was because vampires were night time people, and Buffy was out there killing them.

December 1st was not one of these days. The night before Buffy had refused to patrol, instead going to bed at ten o'clock. It was 6:45 AM and Buffy was running around the house in ever changing states of dress as she tried to decide what to wear. Efficiency won in the end, and Buffy climbed into her mom's car wearing jeans and a light sweater.

Joyce pulled up outside Sunnydale High at 7:10 AM. Buffy got out the car and ran for the doors. She stopped short when Joyce called out behind her,

"Have a good day, honey! Tell Willow I wish her luck on that biology test!"

"I will," Buffy called back, and then dashed into the building.

* * *

Willow was waiting near the library, just outside of Giles' sight if he was pushing his face up against the round windows. Buffy snuck up behind her. She pulled a flyer out of her bag. Willow was peering nervously around the corner when Buffy tapped her on the shoulder. Willow jumped, and spun around. 

"Oh my god! Buffy, don't do that! I thought you were Giles! Or Snyder, now with mind reading capabilities."

"Sorry. So, I thought we'd go to homeroom, then sneak out the library when first period starts."

"What? But Giles - "

" - Will probably be busy with his tea. It's safer if we go to homeroom, and at least make it look like we're here today."

"Okay." Willow gets Resolve Face. "Where are we gonna hit first?"

"I thought maybe Video Shack? It's close; they do get a fair amount of every title in. And if, god forbid, they don't have any, we haven't gone that far."

Willow nodded, a little wide eyed at the prospect of skipping school. "Right, and if Video Shack doesn't having Sliding Doors?"

"Sunnydale Video, maybe the Blockbuster near the mall. Our Hollywood Video is looking a bit decayed, but I'm sure they're still getting new orders. Worse comes to worst, there's always the mall. It has more than one place that'll have got copies in."

"Yes. Okay. Plan. Good." Willow looked down at her watch. "Bell's about to ring. We should head."

"Yeah. Homeroom. Yes."

And off they went.

* * *

The moment the bell for first period rang, they were out of their seats and headed for the library. As Buffy had predicted, Giles is in his office drinking tea. And, by the sound it, talking to his tea.

"Now come on, you're the same brand I had yesterday. Why don't you taste good now? I did everything the same." He sighed. "Stupid awful American brand."

Buffy snuck across the to the Stacks, and motioned for Willow to do the same. Willow began tiptoeing across the floor. As she moved past the card catalogue, her sweater caught on one of the knobs. Willow stepped forward, and the catalogue dragged with her. Willow's eyes widened in panic. She tugged at it, but it wouldn't unhook. In his office, Giles was still staring glumly into his tea.

After a few further minutes of panicked tugging, Buffy came back down the steps, and tried to help. Finally, it released. Grabbing Willow's hand, Buffy dragged her into the Stacks.

"Okay, that was way too close."

"It won't happen again. Door, right there, and we're out."

"I have to be back by 12:30, I have a bio test."

"And my mom wishes you luck."

"Oh, that's so nice of her."

* * *

They snuck around the outside of the school, sticking to the hard morning shadows. They froze as they came around the front. Snyder was standing just outside the front doors, glaring sullenly at the world. Buffy poked Willow, and she hurried down the lawn. Buffy followed, watching Snyder nervously.

Two blocks away, they found a bus stop. The listing on the sign pole said it was due in twenty minutes. In 40, it still hadn't shown.

"We have a bus depot, how can our transit system be such crap?"

* * *

They gave up, and walked through town to Video Shack. As small as Sunnydale was, it took fifteen minutes for them to walk there. Nice, heeled shoes weren't meant for walking. At least slaying didn't involve endurance walking. It was just step, kick, sit and wait, repeat.

But when they reached Video Shack, the long haired guy at the counter had just sold their last copy. He said something about a laser disc as they left, but Buffy's thoughts had already turned to Sunnydale Video.

Sunnydale Video was tucked into the backend of downtown, practically in the residential area. It catered mostly to families that needed something to entertain their little ones, so it was a bit of long shot. Willow and Buffy walked away, disappointed again.

"Do you remember where Blockbuster is?"

"Um, near, something."

"Is it over by the Museum?"

"We could check."

"Wah. Why doesn't Sunnydale have, like, any cabs at all?"

"We're tiny, and skinny, and exercise is how to stay that way?"

"But us girls have really nice shoes. And really nice shoes are not for walking in."

"Hellmouth at work, I'm sure. Keeping all the cabs around the mall."

* * *

Blockbuster had some, but they couldn't sell them. Every single copy they had been pre-ordered, and they couldn't just sell it to some girl coming in off the street. Hollywood Video's shipment hadn't arrived yet. They'd been told the delivery truckl had been nearly run off the freeway by a gang of disfigured thugs on PCP.

* * *

As they walked across town on feet they could no longer feel (never again was Buffy wearing high heels. Well, at least until she got to the mall), a familiar Jeep came by. Buffy did a double take, and tripped, knocking her and Willow into the bushes. Joyce stopped at the end of the street, and turned right, back toward town. There were sculptures wrapped in paper in the backseat.

"What the hell? Why does the world not want us to get this movie?"

"Hellmouth. I blame the Hellmouth."

* * *

When they reached the mall, it was already 11:00. Given how long the trip had taken, Willow was wigging out.

"I can't miss this biology test! I've never missed a test before!"

"Missing a test isn't worth 'No one expects the Spanish Inquisition'? Isn't worth John Hannah's amazing accent? Isn't worth throwing popcorn every time Lydia is on screen? Isn't worth wishing we had a best friend like Anna? Isn't worth the adorableness of Helen & James? Really?"

"But, school! I'm School Girl. I'm probably just slowing you down anyway. Here," Willow pulled out her wallet. "Buy mine for me, please? I have to take this test."

They hugged in the mall parking lot, and Willow went across the street to the bus depot, where the few cabs that circulated Sunnydale hung out to steal business. Willow got into a SuniCab, and Buffy walked into the mall.

* * *

The mall was filled to the brim with kids playing hooky, and other kids skipping. Every five feet Buffy ran into a cluster of mallrats, who seemed more interested in keeping others from doing anything productive than not doing anything themselves. After the food court, Buffy was offered everything imaginable by overzealous cart venders.

HMV rose like a castle before her. From outside the doors Buffy could see the display for it. Yellow and white, with those beautiful pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow. She walked forward in a daze, her eyes losing focusing as she stared at the cardboard display. Buffy stepped up to the shelf. One lone copy remained. It was beautiful, and Buffy felt a thrill as she reached for it. Suddenly another hand was there, pulling it off the shelf. Buffy's gaze followed the hand up the arm to the boy who had taken her copy. Rage flashed through her. But no, she couldn't use Slayer strength on some kid who'd pulled it off the shelf first.

They heavy disappointment of wanting something so badly and being thwarted at the last moment made her want to cry, but Buffy soldiered on. Best Buy was at the other end of the mall, and Buffy ran the whole way. It was here that she at last found the missing piece of her soul. Shelf after shelf was filled with copies. Yellow and perfect. Buffy didn't slow down, and they turned into a yellow blur as she ran for the closest ones.

Her hands, with their pink polish, closed around two copies. Buffy clutched them to her chest, sighing with joy. She bounced up to the cash register, and bought them both.

* * *

Following Willow's example, Buffy got a SuniCab at the bus depot, and headed back to school.

Buffy crept into class at 2:00. As the teacher droned on, Buffy slipped Willow the video under her desk. The moment the bell that signaled the end of fifth period sounded, they burst out the front doors, bypassing both Giles and Xander. They ran flat out to Buffy's house, ready to watch their prize –

Joyce stood in the doorway, a stern look on her face and the portable phone in her hand. "The school called, Buffy. They said you missed three classes. Explain yourself," Joyce said loudly. Then, she leaned toward her daughter and Willow, peering around like she expected someone to jump out yelling 'bad parent, bad form!' at any moment.

"Did you get it?"

Buffy's knees felt like jelly as her brain tried to keep up with her mother. She slowly pulled her copt of "Sliding Doors" out of her bag. Joyce's eyes lit up, and a squeal threatened to escape her, but she clapped her hands over her mouth. With another furtive look around the neighborhood, she ushered them inside.

* * *

"I have sodas and popcorn, and I think there's some left over Halloween candy around. You two set up the movie, I'll be out in a moment." Joyce went off down the hall to the kitchen.

Willow raised her eyebrows at Buffy. "You're mom is too cool. My mom will kill me for skipping, if she even notices the school called."

Buffy hugged Willow, and then went straight to the television. "I'm too excited, you open the packaging."

Willow rolled her eyes, and dropped down on the floor beside her. She carefully ripped the plastic off it, and Buffy stuck it into the VCR. They retreated to the couch. Buffy gripped the remote tightly as she stared at the FBI warning on the TV.

Joyce came back in, carrying a tray of snacks. She sat down next to them, practically vibrating in anticipation.

The previews ended, and the movie started. A long day had passed, there had been moments of panic, and toes that might never regain feeling, but they had "Sliding Doors" and that was all that mattered.


End file.
